Universal Studios: Take Two

Back at Universal Studios Hollywood to once again enjoy our favorite rides! The Studio Tour was first on our list. We picked the outer seats on the tram to get better views of the different attractions. And as planned, I captured the experience on video!

Studio Tour:
- King Kong 360 3D
- Flash Flood
- Subway Earthquake

We then went in line for our favorites - The Transformers and The Mummy rides. As usual, there was a bunch of people waiting in line. But it was a lot shorter compared to the last time we were there. Walked around the park and spotted some new stuff, like Mr. Bean's car and the Mystery Machine with the entire Scooby Gang on board!

As part of the Halloween Horror Nights, there were creepy decorations scattered all over the theme park. It looked hella scary in broad daylight. I could only imagine the horrors it would give me at night!

But what really gave me the creeps were the vampires roaming around the park. They would usually pick on girls and would really bring their faces close to ours and hiss and stare with a serious thirst for blood! Sure, they were hot and sexy and good looking... but still! Haha.

We were already on our way out when we passed by the House of Horrors. Posted waiting time was 10 minutes so we thought we'd give it a try. Walked through a maze cloaked in darkness where monsters jumped out either before us or right at us! We were only halfway through and I just wanted to get the hell out! What happened to my brave heart?! Haha. When we finally got out, I was so exhausted and short of breath! But if you ask me, would I want to go through it again? Hell yeah! I'd even turn it up a few notches and go for the Halloween Horror Nights!

And on to my favorite shots...





Yep, I just love the flare. Hehe. :)

There's No Place Like Home

We went to Wesoloh yesterday to get Derick's car and I accidentally left our house keys in the service van. Good thing it was surrendered in the office. It would've been a real problem because one of the keychains has our address and apartment number on it! How convenient for someone to break in! Haha.

When we got hold of our precious keys, we stopped by Wetzel's for a bag of pretzel bites. I dropped my sunglasses while crossing the street and it almost got ran over by a car. I think the car just missed it by an inch or two! Whew.

It was time to hit the road to LA. We had no yellow brick road to follow, but we had Garmin to show us the highlighted route to Oz! Haha.

When we arrived at the Pantages Theater, there was already a handful of people waiting. Outside, the theater just looks like an old building but inside, its classic beauty was astonishing! The grand staircase, the chandeliers, the gorgeous ornate ceiling, the golden statues.. Everything just makes you feel kinda fancy. Hehe.

And since we still had a lot of time to spare... Haha.

We had pretty good seats. We didn't have a center view of the stage but we were quite near. I'm not that familiar with the songs except for Somewhere Over The Rainbow but I really enjoyed each and every performance! Danielle Wade, the girl who played Dorothy, was ah-mazing! Great acting and excellent singing. I'm still wondering how she changed from a blue dress to a green dress with just one quick turn. Seriously, what happened there? Was it the ruby slippers? The magic of Emerald City? Argh, I shouldn't have blinked! The Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion were both funny. I love them! Glinda the Good Witch reminded me so much of Rachel McAdams. I remember in Wicked, she first entered the stage inside a giant bubble. In this musical, she was wearing this big elegant dress as she descended from the heavens. She sure knows how to make a grand entrance! Hehe.

After the play, we went straight to Universal Studios. Little did we know that the "regular" park was closing early because of a special event called Halloween Horror Nights. It requires a separate entrance fee and was not covered by our annual passes. Didn't have the budget for that but we would definitely schedule this some other time.

Dinner at Bubba Gump in City Walk. Tried this Blue Hawaiian drink, which is basically pineapple juice with blue curacao and vodka. It was refreshing, but not without a kick. We also ordered some very very sinful dessert! A warm soft chocolate chip cookie topped with vanilla ice cream, peanuts, hot fudge and whipped cream! One spoonful and I was in heaven!

In celebration of the 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, McDonald's released these cute little Happy Meal toys! And I got to buy them without stuffing myself with fake chicken nuggets!

TatTwo

Woke up around 9am, ready to get my second ink. Already did some research before and found Full Circle Tattoo in downtown San Diego. But I thought, there must be a tattoo parlor nearby that won't require us to drive 36 miles. Asked for Yelp's help and found Frontline Tattoo, which is only 3 miles away from home. The reviews were good, some said they were a bit pricey but that they do quality work. For something that would be permanently etched on my skin, I really don't mind paying a little extra.

Called the Vista branch to inquire about their pricing and to set an appointment. The guy on the line told me that they do not do appointments and that it's hard to give an estimate without seeing the actual design. I really wanted to get a price range so I would at least have an idea. Didn't want to just walk in and walk away if it's way out of my budget. So I tried my best to describe the design. He said it would probably be around a hundred bucks, give or take.

When we arrived at the Vista branch, my hands turned cold. Haha. The guy in the receiving area was kinda arrogant in dealing with us. Probably coz we're interrupting his lunch or he probably thinks we're just a couple of youngsters with little money. Haha. Told us that the earliest available spot that they have is at 6pm. We could either wait or he could refer us to their Oceanside branch. He called them up and asked if they have any opening. Luckily, the other branch could take us in.

The shop in Oceanside was less intimidating. The front desk guy was very accommodating and was quite funny. Forgot to bring an ID so he just made me promise that I am of legal age. Haha. After signing the waiver, he introduced me to my tattoo artist, Julie.

I love the setup of the shop, the artists have their own curtained booth. Julie has a lot of framed artworks and she has this cork board filled with her sketches. Made myself comfortable in the chair as she prepared her stuff. When she turned the machine on, I realized how much I missed the buzzing sound of a tattoo gun. When the needle touched my skin, I realized how much I missed the "stinging" sensation. When it was over, I was seriously craving for more!!

Now that just made me sound like I'm addicted to it, but seriously, I am not. I mean, really. Nope, not an addict. Nuh-uh. Oh, bull. >_<

Like Moths To A Gaslamp

Grabbed an early dinner of steak and pasta at Rock Bottom Brewery & Restaurant. Needless to say, we ate thinking that we'll be doing a lot of walking after. Hehe.

Now that we're full on fuel, we had the energy to explore the Gaslamp Quarter! Hehe. The streets were lined with bars, restaurants, pubs and shops and there were Victorian-style buildings that make for a good photo.

As the night wore on, the place transformed into an adult playground. And I say that in a good way. The vibrant lights, the loud music, the alcohol, the happy freaks dressed in glittery costumes prancing around like it's the 70's..

Walking is a great exercise and a much needed one at that, but we had to give our legs a rest. Getting a table outside the restaurants were almost impossible as most of them were reserved. After some time, we finally got a table at La Fiesta Mexican Cuisine Lounge. Enjoyed a glass of mudslide as we watched the world go by. Well, the people of the world to be exact. Hehe. Sitting there as different kinds of people walked back and forth like it's freakin' runway, I felt like we just upped our people watching skills to an almost professional level. Haha.

Right across the Gaslamp Quarter is the San Diego Convention Center. It was pretty lifeless at that time but I can only imagine how alive and exciting it gets during the annual Comic-Con! The cosplayers, the celebrities, the toys! And I still can't believe we missed that!

Los favoritos:

Sun, Sand And Sails

Building sand castles in the beach may be thought of as child's play. But this Labor Day weekend, a group of sand sculptors have picked up their buckets and shovels to turn tons of sand into artistic masterpieces for the US Sand Sculpting Challenge!

The competition was held in Downtown San Diego. The place is a nice mix of city and sunshine. It got all the concrete and the buildings on one side and the San Diego Bay on the other. Aside from the amazing sand sculptures, a variety of 3D art and photography were also on display.